The athletic apparel craze now has something for men, too: Jogger pants.

The pants feature a loose, sweatpant-style leg tapering to elastic cuffs that hit just above the ankle. To be clear, there probably won’t be any jogging involved. Their appeal more likely stems from the fact that they can better show off flashy basketball shoes, retail sales of which surged 20% last year to $4.5 billion, according to data from SportsOneSource.

Their cut and crop “eliminates the tragedy of having great kicks ruined by awful jeans,” according to men’s lifestyle site Complex.com. Brendan Dunne, an editor at sneaker-watching website SneakerNews.com, said the trend began in Europe and carried over to the U.S. as collectors began sporting them more frequently on Instagram.

That is manna for apparel retailers desperate for a new hit, especially as denim prices and sales growth weakens. Chains are making a big bet on the product. Urban Outfitters, for instance, has them all over its pants page — in denim, in leather, with flower prints. Zumiez, too, including one with polyurethane legs.

“Good news,” Urban Outfitters says at the opening of its men’s pants Web page. “Athletic gear is about to be everywhere.”

Speaking with WSJ from Las Vegas, where several apparel trade shows are being held this week, SportsOneSource analyst Matt Powell said that jogger pants have been the topic of every discussion.

“They’re the hottest trend in bottoms in men’s,” he said. Among manufacturers, most of the early adopters have been lifestyle brands, though athletic apparel companies are rolling out more traditional track pant looks, he said.

Executives at Pacific Sunwear of California, a retailer of youth-oriented street and surfwear, predicted earlier this spring that joggers would become a big hit. The chain carries an assortment of its own brand as well as versions made by the likes of athletic wear maker Nike Inc. and streetwear brand Been Trill, among others.

Gary Schoenfeld, the company’s chief executive, said that sales of jogger pants have been “meaningful” – especially as denim products have become more promotional across retail. “I think it’s an interesting matching of street influence, active lifestyle, and a continuous desire for comfort,” he said. “The joggers bring all three of those together.”

Jogger pants at PacSun stores typically range between $40 and $60, he said. Some higher end brands, however, already have a strong secondary market: Kith Mercer jogger pants, which at $95 each are presently sold out on the boutique’s website, are popping up on the likes of eBay and streetwear resale sites for upwards of $200.